Origin
Denver, CO
Late night in Denver on Tuesday
Local time
2:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Denver, CO to Loveland, CO
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
50.5 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Denver, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Loveland, CO
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from Denver to Loveland, expect a straightforward 50.5-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 4 minutes. This route stays entirely within the Mountain West region, keeping you in Colorado the whole time. Because it is a short trip, you can easily complete it as a one-day excursion without needing an overnight stay. Budgeting about $8 for fuel covers the trip comfortably. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that connects two major hubs, making it an ideal candidate for a morning departure or a flexible weekend afternoon outing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway | 27.3 mi | 27m |
| North Valley Highway | 14.6 mi | 18m |
| 14th Street Southeast | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| South Lincoln Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Park Avenue West | 1 mi | 2m |
| East State Highway 402 | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North Lincoln Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Broadway | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
— 27.3 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Denver, CO and Loveland, CO.
1
Start on this road
379 ft
·
29 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
62 ft
·
11 sec
3
Turn left onto I 70 Business; US 40; US 287
362 ft
·
14 sec
·
East Colfax Avenue
4
Turn right onto North Lincoln Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Lincoln Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Continue on 20th Street
500 ft
·
18 sec
·
20th Street
6
Turn right onto North Broadway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Broadway
7
Turn left onto Park Avenue West
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Park Avenue West
Toward I 25
Use the left lane.
8
Take the ramp
458 ft
·
11 sec
Toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, Grand Junction
Use the right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 25 North: Fort Collins
10
Merge onto I 25
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
4.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25
5.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North Valley Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on I 25
27 mi
·
27 min
·
Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 255
Toward SH 402: Loveland and Greeley Canal
15
Keep slight left at fork
214 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 255
Toward SH 402: Loveland and Greeley Canal
16
Enter roundabout onto CO 402
252 ft
·
14 sec
·
East State Highway 402
17
Continue on CO 402
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
East State Highway 402
18
Enter roundabout onto CO 402
144 ft
·
8 sec
·
East State Highway 402
19
Continue on CO 402
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
East State Highway 402
20
Continue on CO 402
3.7 mi
·
6 min
·
14th Street Southeast
21
Take the ramp
183 ft
·
5 sec
22
Merge onto US 287
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Lincoln Avenue
23
Turn left onto East 6th Street
501 ft
·
23 sec
·
East 6th Street
24
Arrive at destination
East 6th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 miles from Denver, CO, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 44.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Park Avenue West
Turn left onto Park Avenue West toward I 25
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 25
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, Grand Junction
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 25 North, I 70: Fort Collins, Limon, G...
6
7.6 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
11.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
I 25 / North Valley Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 25 / North Valley Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
44.7 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Keep slight left at fork toward SH 402: Loveland and Greeley Canal
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 255
Toward SH 402: Loveland and Greeley Canal
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.61 one way
$15.22 round trip
$3.83/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.05 | $8.06 | $16.11 |
| premium | $4.39 | $8.74 | $17.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.15 | $22.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.30 | $2.42 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.42 | $2.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.07 | $3.23 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Loveland, CO
Late night in Loveland on Tuesday
Local time
2:07 AM
MDT
Current temp
33°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 4m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mix of driving styles on this trip, as the route is characterized by a turn-heavy local feel despite being fully composed of highways. You will spend your time navigating the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway, the North Valley Highway, and 14th Street Southeast. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 27.3-mile segment along the Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. Because the route is 100% highway-based, the transition between high-speed sections and local navigation requires you to stay alert at the wheel throughout the hour-long drive.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.3 mi on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near Park Avenue West.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.5 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Park Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Denver, CO to Loveland, CO, road signs begin pointing toward Sh 402: Loveland And Greeley Canal along the way.
Sh 402: Loveland And Greeley Canal
44.5 mi in
|
~52m
About the Cities
Starting in Denver, CO
Full guide →“Mile High City” · Founded 1858
Denver is the capital of the western U.S. state of Colorado and the dominant city of the Rocky Mountain Region. Founded in 1858 as the placer gold mining camp known as the Cherry Creek Diggings, the "Mile-High City" is today the most populous city within a 560-mile (900 km) radius and the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor of more than five million residents. Denver embraces its cowboy and mining past but also looks toward the future with a vibrant arts and performing arts scene, dozens of great outdoor festivals, and distinct neighborhoods each offering a unique experience. You'll find everything a cosmopolitan city has to offer including a spectacular view of and easy access to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which arise only 12 miles (19 km) west of the Colorado State Capitol.
Top landmarks
- • Denver Art Museum — museum in Denver, Colorado, United States
- • Denver Mint — United States Mint branch in Denver, Colorado
- • Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception — church in Colorado, United States
Arriving in Loveland, CO
Full guide →Loveland is a city in the region of Colorado. There is a large population of artists in Loveland, which has drawn three foundries, an art museum, and the annual sculpture shows in August. The city lies on the Big Thompson River in Larimer County 26 miles (42 km) east of Rocky Mountain National Park and 46 miles (74 km) north of Denver. In 2020, the population of the City of Loveland was 78,000. The city is a popular retirement haven and a major business center.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 4m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.3 miles on Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Loveland, CO before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Park Avenue West): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.6 miles (I 25 / North Valley Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Loveland, CO before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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